Motor operated kinesitherapy device



April 13, 1954 o. K. MURPHY MOTOR OPERATED KINESITHERAPY DEVICE FiledJune 19, 1952 @a2/Mm @au l l I lllllll t k|.lllllall l in which 'themotor is adequately UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOTOR OPERATEDKINESITHERAPY DEVICE Gwen K. Murphy, Adamsville, Pa.

Application June 19, 1952, Serial No. 294,458

(Cl. 12S- 36) 4 Claims. l

This invention relates to a motor operated kinesitherapy device and moreparticularly to a simple and durable device of this character with anapplicator having gyratcry motion and which device can be effectivelyused for treatments o the human body.

This application is a companion to my copending application Serial No.294,457 led June 19, 1952 for Cushion Type Motor Operated KinesitherapyDevice.

As hereinafter more fully described the present invention is concernedwith such a device having a motor operated gyrator and which device canbe held in the hand and applied to different parts of the body or may beembodied in a device having the form of a cushion as shown in my saidcompanion application. In such appliances as heretofore made,considerable difficulty has been experienced in providing an instrumentwhich is Beca-use of simple, rugged and highly effective. the gyratorymotion, the bearings of the motor are particularlysusceptible todestructive action, and undue Wear in these parts leads to otherfailures. In the device embodying the present invention a novel andsimple construction is provided for mounting the entire motor unit as anentity, and With a measure of resiliency or free dom of movement whicheliminates the cause of failure and at the same time provides a motionor action having both a pleasing and a thera peutic effect.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the-present invention is to providesuch a motor operated kinesitherapy device which Will operate withoutchange in characteristics for a long period of time and which has both apleasing vand therapeutic effect.

Another object is to provide such a device which is composed of simpleand low cost parts l that can readily be puttogether.

Another object is to provide such a device composed of sheet metalhousing or shell sections which can be lhighly polished and readily keptin a sanitary condition.

Another object' is to provide such a device which has ends ofdifferent'degrees of bluntness to facilitate application `to differentparts of the body. l

Other objectsandadvantages of the invention 2 will be apparent from thefollowing description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a therapeutic device adapted to beheld in the hand of the user and applied to different parts of the body.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the hand device shownin Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken generally on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 and showing one of thecasing or shell parts disassembled froin the motor to illustrate theoriginal shape of the rubber ring mounting for the motor containedwithin the casing sections.

In the form of the invention illustrated the numeral l0 represents anelectric motor having a generally cylindrical casing il and a motorshaft I2. A fan I3 is mounted on one end of the motor shaft l2, theblade of this fan being shaped to move the air longitudinally throughthe casing i I of the electric motor for the purpose of cooling thesame. The fan includes a hub le from which its blades I 5 radiate, andscrewed into the fan hub i4 is a screw l5 which projects radially andhas a head Il at its outer end.4 One or more Weights I8 are carried bythe screw` l5. these Weights being preferably of washer-like form andheld against the screw head El by lock nut I9. The screw l5 and itsweights il! provide an eccentric weight on the motor shaft I2 whichtends to gyrate the motor shaft and the motor as a function ofitsfoperation.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a pairof rubber rings 2t surF rounding each of the opposite ends of the motorcasing Il. These rings are preferably cementil tiously secured, asindicated at 22, to the motor casing and provide a resilient radialextension of the motor casing thereof. i

An important feature of the invention resides in the unstressed form ofthe rubber rings 2Q. Thus, upon reference to Fig. e, the rubber rings2li are of frusta-conical form with conical faces 2l converging towardthe end of the motor.

This convergence isfor the purpose of facilitating the insertion of themotor unit intothe tvvo parts 25 and 26 of the `housing or shell of .thedevice. A layer 2 of suitable cement is prefer ably applied to theperipheral faces 2l of the rubber rings before such insertion to securethe housing sections to the rubber rings and motor casing. Each of thesehousing or shell parts is made ofone piece of sheet metal vand thepartie a hemisphericalend'head 29` with an annular disposed within thechamber in fully spaced relation to the walls of said housing andextending across the mating ends of said housing sections, said motorhaving a relatively stationary generally cylindrical casing arrangedwith its axis lengthwise of said chamber and having a rotary shaftjournalled coaxially within said casing, an eccentric weight driven bysaid shaft and providing a predetermined, mechanical. rotary unbalancewell in excess of any accidental unbalance due to inaccuracy ofmanufacture, a pair of axially spaced, soft, resilient cushion ringseach encircling a corresponding end of said motor casing and interposedunder stress between said motor casing and one of said housing sections,and serving as the connector between said housing sections and also asthe sole and floating support between said motor and said housingwhereby rotation of said eccentric weight will cause a gyratory movementof said motor in a relatively small, closed-loop path which istransmitted through said rings to said housing, a cementitious bondbetween said rings land motor casing, and a cementitious bond betweeneach of said rings and a corresponding housing section, and said ringsin the normal unstressed condition thereof being of frusto-conical formwith their peripheral faces converging in opposite directions and towardthe corresponding ends of said motor casing to facilitate insertionthereoff into said housing sections.

4. A therapeutic device adapted to ine held in the hand, comprising twogenerally cylindrical, rigid, hollow, metal housing sections havingopiposing open ends adapted to be brought into mating relation with eachother to provide a generally cylindrical housing, an electric motordisposed within the chamber in fully spaced relation to the walls ofsaid housing, said motor having a relatively stationary generallycylindrical casing arranged with its axis lengthwise of said chamber andhaving a rotary shaft journalled coaxially within said casing, aneccentric weight driven by said shaft and providing a predetermined,mechanical, rotary unbalance well in excess of any accidental unbalancedue to inaccuracy of manufacture, a pair of axially spaced, soft,resilient cushion rings each encircling a corresponding end of saidmotor casing and interposed under stress between said motor casing andsaid housing walls, and serving as the sole and floating support betweensaid motor and said housing whereby rotation of said eccentric weightwill cause a gyratory movement of said motor in a relatively small,closed-loop path which is transmitted through said rings to saidhousing, one of said housing sections being formed with an axiallyelongated nose, and a concave-convex rubber `pad having an integral ringprojecting from its convex face and adapted to be fitted frictionallyover said nose.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 854,983 Clark May 28, 1907 2,425,655 Tompkins Aug. 12, 1947

